Leaving Meaning
Leaving Meaning (stylized as leaving meaning.) is the fifteenth studio album by American experimental band Swans. It was released October 25, 2019 on Young God and Mute.[1] A double album, Leaving Meaning's songs have been mixed separately for vinyl and CD releases, with the CD version of the album containing the original (and extended) mixes of the songs, as well as an additional track, "Some New Things".[2] As with all Swans' releases of the 2010s, Leaving Meaning was financed by a fundraiser album – in this case, What Is This? in March 2019.
Leaving Meaning | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 25, 2019 | |||
Length | 93:10 (CD version) 82:34 (vinyl version) | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | Michael Gira | |||
Swans chronology | ||||
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Singles from Leaving Meaning | ||||
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Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AnyDecentMusic? | 7.5/10[3] |
Metacritic | 75/100[4] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [5] |
Exclaim! | 7/10[6] |
The Line of Best Fit | 9/10[7] |
Mojo | [8] |
MusicOMH | [9] |
Pitchfork | 7.7/10[10] |
Q | [11] |
Record Collector | [12] |
Slant Magazine | [13] |
Uncut | 8/10[14] |
Upon its release, Leaving Meaning received mostly positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, Leaving Meaning received an average score of 75, based on 16 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[4] Andrew Perry of Mojo gave the album a favorable review, comparing it partly to The Burning World and writing, "Whatever the sonic weather, Gira's spiritual austerity remains unimpaired."[8]
Accolades
Publication | Accolade | Rank | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
Far Out Magazine | Top 50 Albums of 2019 | 47 |
|
Les Inrocks | Top 100 Albums of 2019 | 98 |
|
Magnet | Top 25 Albums of 2019 | 23 |
|
Mondo Sonoro | Top 40 Albums of 2019 | 18 |
|
Rough Trade | Top 100 Albums of 2019 | 19 |
Track listing
CD & digital version
All tracks are written by Michael Gira, except where noted.
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hums" | 2:00 | |
2. | "Annaline" | 5:17 | |
3. | "The Hanging Man" | 10:48 | |
4. | "Amnesia" | 5:49 | |
5. | "Leaving Meaning" | The Necks | 11:21 |
6. | "Sunfucker" | 10:43 | |
Total length: | 45:58 |
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
7. | "Cathedrals of Heaven" | 7:49 | |
8. | "The Nub" | The Necks | 12:01 |
9. | "It's Coming It's Real" | 7:42 | |
10. | "Some New Things" | 7:09 | |
11. | "What Is This?" | 6:05 | |
12. | "My Phantom Limb" | 6:26 | |
Total length: | 47:12 |
Vinyl version
All tracks are written by Michael Gira, except where noted.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Annaline" | 5:17 |
2. | "The Hanging Man" (shortened mix) | 9:55 |
3. | "Amnesia" | 5:49 |
Total length: | 21:01 |
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Leaving Meaning" (shortened mix) | The Necks | 10:37 |
2. | "Sunfucker" (shortened mix) | 10:22 | |
Total length: | 20:59 |
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Hums" (shortened mix) | 1:46 | |
2. | "Cathedrals of Heaven" | 7:49 | |
3. | "The Nub" (shortened mix) | The Necks | 10:59 |
Total length: | 20:34 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "It's Coming It's Real" (shortened mix) | 7:29 |
2. | "What Is This?" | 6:05 |
3. | "My Phantom Limb" | 6:26 |
Total length: | 20:00 |
Personnel
Adapted from the official Young God Records website:[1]
Swans
- Michael Gira – vocals, electric and acoustic guitar
- Kristof Hahn – lap steel guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
- Larry Mullins – drums, Mellotron, percussion, vibes, vocals
- Yoyo Röhm – bass guitar, double bass, keyboards, vocals
Previous Swans
- Thor Harris – percussion, trumpet, clarinet, gizmos, vibes and bells
- Christopher Pravdica – bass guitar
- Phil Puleo – hammered dulcimer ("Amnesia")
- Norman Westberg – electric guitar, vocals
- Paul Wallfisch – piano
Guests
- Chris Abrahams – piano, organ ("The Nub", "Leaving Meaning")
- Tony Buck – drums, percussion ("The Nub", "Leaving Meaning", "Some New Things")
- Lloyd Swanton – double bass ("The Nub", "Leaving Meaning")
- Anna von Hausswolff – choral vocals
- Maria von Hausswolff – choral vocals
- Ben Frost – electric guitar, vocals, synth
- Baby Dee – lead vocal ("The Nub")
- Fay Christen – vocals ("The Nub")
- Ida Albertje Michels – vocals ("The Nub")
- Jennifer Gira – vocals
- Jeremy Barnes – santur, hi-hat, fiddlesticks, accordion, engineering
- Heather Trost – violin, viola, fiddlesticks, engineering
- Dana Schechter – bass
- Cassis Staudt – accordion, harmonium
Other contributors[20]
- Ingo Krauss
- Peter Wright
- Daniel Miller
- Francesco Fabris
- Howard Wuelfing
- John Allen
- Brandon Perry
- Todd Cole
- Paul A. Taylor
- Jason LaFarge
Charts
Chart (2019) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[21] | 73 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[22] | 93 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[23] | 156 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[24] | 58 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[25] | 34 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[26] | 70 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[27] | 77 |
References
- "leaving meaning". YOUNG GOD RECORDS.
- Bank, Mute. "Swans - leaving meaning. - Double Vinyl". Mute Bank.
- "Leaving Meaning. by Swans reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
- "Leaving Meaning. by Swans Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
- Simpson, Paul. "leaving meaning. – Swans". AllMusic. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
- Morin, Max (October 30, 2019). "Swans: Leaving Meaning". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 30, 2019.
- Lilly, Evan (October 31, 2019). "Swans' Leaving Meaning is a customarily monolithic work of experimental rock". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
- Perry, Andrew (November 2019). "Swans: Leaving Meaning". Mojo. No. 312. p. 89.
- Shepherd, Sam (October 25, 2019). "Swans – Leaving Meaning". MusicOMH. Retrieved February 1, 2020.
- Sherburne, Philip (November 13, 2019). "Swans: Leaving Meaning". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 14, 2019.
- Mongredien, Phil (January 2020). "Swans: Leaving Meaning". Q. No. 406. p. 114.
- Hamnett, Alun (December 2019). "Swans – Leaving Meaning". Record Collector. No. 499. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
- Wilson, Seth (October 20, 2019). "Review: Swans's Leaving Meaning Depicts a Grim and Unrelenting Hellscape". Slant Magazine. Retrieved November 28, 2019.
- Wallace, Wyndham (December 2019). "Swans: Leaving Meaning". Uncut. No. 271. p. 32.
- "The 50 Best Albums of 2019". Far Out Magazine. December 24, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- "Notre Top 100 des meilleurs albums de 2019" (in French). December 11, 2019. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- "Magnet's Top 25 Albums of 2019". Magnet. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- "Los mejores discos internacionales de 2019 para Mondo Sonoro" (in Spanish). MondoSonoro. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- "Albums of the Year". Rough Trade. Retrieved May 10, 2020.
- https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0397/1609/products/Various_Personnel_Swans_Leaving_Meaning_grande.jpg?v=1567525545
- "Austriancharts.at – Swans – Leaving Meaning" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 7, 2019.
- "Ultratop.be – Swans – Leaving Meaning" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- "Ultratop.be – Swans – Leaving Meaning" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- "Offiziellecharts.de – Swans – Leaving Meaning" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
- "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 2, 2019.
- "Top 100 Albumes – Semana 44: del 25.10.2019 al 31.10.2019" (in Spanish). Productores de Música de España. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- "Swisscharts.com – Swans – Leaving Meaning". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 6, 2019.